Bearing body and method of making same



April 8, 1930. w. H. KLOCKE 1,753,434

BEARING BODY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 6, 1927 i fig. 4

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INVENTOR.

By I I q- A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 8, 1930 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. KLOGKE, OF WOODH AVEN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLIIL'VELAND GRAPHITE BRONZE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO BEARING BODY AND METHODOF MAKING SAME Q Application filed September The principal object of this invention is to provide a tubular member adapted to receive a coating.

Another object is to provide a tubular member. having its surface roughened to increase the strength of adhesion between said member and a coating to be applied thereto.

A further object is to provide a tubular member pressed from sheet steel and having its surfaces roughened to adapt it to receive and retain a coating.

A still further object-is to devise a novel method of making steel tubes of uniform thickness and having roughened surfaces.

The most advantageous use which I have found for my invention is in the manufacture of bearings. Thereupon the roughened steel tube is used as a supporting body for a coating of Babbitt metal for forming the surface of a bearing proper.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is aplan of a piece of sheet metal such as is used in the practice of my invention to form the tubular member; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the first step in the process for forming the sheet into a tube having been taken; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3,

showing said piece after the second step in said process; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 after the last step in said process; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tube shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective vlew similar to Fig. 5 showing the tube after the application of a sand-blast; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section of the tube, showing the roughnessescreated by the sand-blast.

In the practice of my invention, a sheet 1,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is first bent at its ends asat 2 for a reason to be later set forth.

6, .1927. Serial No. 217,658.

A second operation forms the sheet into: a horse-shoe shape as shown in Fig. 4, while a third operation brings the free ends 3 into juxtaposition and forces them closely together as at 4. I

It should here be noted that'b'y my invention I am enabled to form a tube from a sheet of metal in three simple operations, forming a tight joint between the endsof the sheet. The formation of this tight joint is dependent upon the bends 2 formed by the first operation. Without such bends, after the halfrounddies had forced the ends 3 together and had been removed, the resiliency of the metal would tend to cause the ends 3 to spring apart. This separation might be very slight, but it would be fatal to the efiiciency of the bearing.

If, however, the bends 2 are present when the dies close upon the tubefwhen it is shaped as shown in Fig. 4, the ends 3 follow the shape of the lower die until they come into contact with each other, at which time thedies are almost, but not quite, closed.

Further movement of the dies acts on the bends 2 with a toggle efi'ect, thusforcing the ends 3 together with a pressure impossible to attain b the usual methods. When, after such'actlon, the dies are released. the joint 4 is found to be entirely tight, since the natural resiliency of the metal tends now to force the ends 3 closer together.

After the tube has been formed in the manner outlined above, it is treated with a sand- I blast to clean and'roughen its entire surface as indicated at '5 in Figs. 7 and 8. This roughening is effected by the minute indentations made by the grains of sand as they are thrown by compressed air with a high velocity against the surfaces of the tube. .The roughness imparted by this treatment is not very pronounced and is more or less uniform over the whole surface of the tube.

Of course, although I prefer to use a tube which has been formed from sheet metal, in the practice of my invention, it will be readily understood that the sand-blast could be applied as well to rou hening the surfaces of a tube which had heen formed in anyother way.

As has been stated above, I find my invention to be most advanta eous in the manufacture of bearings, an more particularly in the manufacture of main bearings for the crank shafts of internal combustion engines. There exists a demand for bearings of'this pe which can be manufactured less expens velythan those now on the market, and my invention meets that demand. In manufacturing bearings of this type, inaccord ance with my invention, the above?! lined recess is carried through and then the' sandlilast-roughened tube is dipped into a bath of molten tin, after which Babbitt metal is cast onto the inner surface of the member by the centrifugal method. Because of the roughness of the surfaces of the tubular memher, the coating of tin adheres very closely to the tubular member and the general effect is almost as efiicient as though the tin had been welded onto the whole surface of the tubular member. The Babbitt coating is then turned down to absolute smoothness and concentricity with the outer surface of the tubular member, and the tube is split to form the semi-cylindrical features of a completed bearing.

It will be seen that I have devised a method whereby an improved bearing maybe manufactured at very slight cost and with a minimum expenditure of time.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. The method of making lined bearings which consists in forming a sheet into a cylinder having a pressure-tight butt joint, minutely roughening the inner surface thereof by a percussive action, tinning such surface,

casting a layer of bearing metal on such roughened surface, and machining the outer and inner surfaces of the composite articles thus formed.

2. A cylindrically curved bearing blank having a surface rovided with a multiplicity of minute irregu arly arranged recesses produced by a percussive action.

Signed by me this 20th day of May, 1927.

WILLIAM H. KLOCKE. 

